Conn addresses allegations in statement

Eric C. Conn

October 11, 2013

After 14 years of service in the United States Army as an enlisted man and a commissioned officer, and service in the first Gulf War, I was honorably discharged with the rank of Captain. During my Gulf War tour of duty, I was the personal assistant to Commanding General Gus Pagonis.

After the Army, I came back to Kentucky and took the Kentucky Bar Exam. While studying for the Kentucky Bar Exam, I taught economics at Morehead State University. Upon passage of the Kentucky Bar Exam, I opened a law office in my home community of Stanville. My mother and dad gave me a used mobile home where I opened my first office.

Early on, I decided that the field of Social Security disability law was not being practiced to the level contemplated by federal statutes. Social Security disability exists to provide a safety net for persons who, by reason of disability, are unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity. Protection from financial ruin is the goal of the Social Security Act, and it is a part of the compact between Americans and their government.

Through the years, I have been a successful Social Security practitioner and I am one of only 58 board-certified Social Security practitioners in the United States. I have represented thousands of clients zealously and I am proud to have succeeded in helping my clients avert economic disaster. During this time, I have also made a good living, paid my taxes, donated generously to the communities where I work, and employed more than 30 people in my law practice.

The practice of Social Security disability law is unlike any other form of law practice. Ordinary civil and criminal cases in trial and appellate courts are adversarial, with counsel representing each of the sides. Social Security disability practice is otherwise. In Social Security cases, the claimant is usually represented by counsel but the government is not. The Administrative Law Judge who hears the case is charged with applying the law to the facts presented by the claimant’s counsel. Administrative law judges routinely contact claimant’s attorneys, particularly those with high-volume practices, for the purpose of scheduling and case management. These practices are entirely proper under Social Security regulations.

I have practiced Social Security disability law for 20 years. I have advertised extensively and represented every claimant to the best of my ability. When changes in the law occurred, I studied those changes in an effort to better represent the people who put their faith in me. I have served my clients with honor and dignity.

While I am not now at liberty, on the advice of counsel, to fully address all of the accusations against me, in due course, the truth will be forthcoming. For now, I request that public judgment be withheld until all the facts are known.

This statement was released on behalf of Eric C. Conn and the Eric C. Conn Law Firm by Lambert & Lambert, PLLC, Attorneys at Law, Mt. Vernon, Kentucky 40456.